Wearable body armor

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a wearable body armor suit, comprising a plurality of body armor components that are connected together by an impact-resistant material, wherein the impact-resistant material comprises Vectran™ or woven chain mail, and wherein the body armor components are formed of carbon fiber or liquid crystal polymer fiber that is woven or formed into a platen. The platen is molded or curved to accommodate the shape of a body part being covered by the body armor component, for localized and directed protection of strategically important body parts.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the priority of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/155,888 filed on Feb. 26, 2009, the content ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to body armor, and moreparticularly to body armor that is shaped and interconnected witharticulation points to cover and protect strategically important partsof the body of a wearer, while providing flexibility and comfort.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Most active wear clothing, fabrics, garments, and accessories aregenerally of minimal effectiveness and of limited comfort. Garments andaccessories made of conventional materials that are touted as puncture,laceration, abrasion and/or impact resistant are nearly unwearable, orat least suffer from bulkiness, denseness, rigidity, and, mostimportantly, ineffectiveness.

Conventional body armor is bulky, cumbersome, and uncomfortable to wear.In some cases, conventional body armor is tailored to stop blunt-forceobjects such as bullets, but may be ineffective against other threatssuch as needles, knives, teeth, glass or other objects. Further,conventional body armor is not well adapted to strategically importantparts of the body other than the chest of the wearer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a wearable body armor suit thatprovides a wearer near-complete coverage and protection from threateningobjects.

In various embodiments of the invention, the body armor suit is amodular suit made from armor components as well as high strength,protective fibers, fabrics and materials. The minor components can beformed of carbon fiber, liquid crystal polymer fiber, or any otherstrong, resilient fiber, or combination thereof, that is woven or formedinto a platen. The platen can be molded or curved to accommodate theshape of a body part being covered by the component, for localized anddirected protection of strategically important body parts. The fabricsmay be formed of high-strength fibers that can be incorporated withother materials to produce comfortable garments and accessories that areresistant to laceration, abrasion, impact and puncture. The body armorsuit may be employed for (i) marine use including water sports andactivities such as scuba diving, surfing, kite boarding, rescue divers,and (ii) military use for impact-resistant clothing, upholstery andaccessories.

One embodiment of the invention provides a wearable body armor suit,comprising a plurality of body armor components that are connectedtogether by an impact-resistant material, wherein the impact-resistantmaterial comprises Vectran™ or woven chain mail, and wherein the bodyarmor components are formed of carbon fiber or liquid crystal polymerfiber that is woven or formed into a platen. The platen is molded orcurved to accommodate the shape of a body part being covered by the bodyarmor component, for localized and directed protection of strategicallyimportant body parts.

Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the featuresin accordance with embodiments of the invention. The summary is notintended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely bythe claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention, in accordance with one or more variousembodiments, is described in detail with reference to the followingfigures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only andmerely depict typical or example embodiments of the invention. Thesedrawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of theinvention and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, orapplicability of the invention. It should be noted that for clarity andease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.

FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate various front and side views of a plurality ofcomponents of a body armor suit, in accordance with the principles ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a portion of a body armor suit for anarm of a wearer, with heavy-duty articulation, in accordance with theprinciples of the invention.

The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventionto the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that theinvention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and thatthe invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a wearable body armor suit. Thesuit includes multiple components that are connected together by aheavy-duty articulation point or by impact-resistant material, such asVectran™, woven chain mail, or the like. The armor components can beformed of carbon fiber, liquid crystal polymer fiber, or any otherstrong, resilient fiber, or combination thereof, that is woven or formedinto a platen. The platen can be molded or curved to accommodate theshape of a body part being covered by the component, for localized anddirected protection of strategically important body parts.

In some embodiments, the components of the wearable body armor suit aremodular and selectively detachable. In other embodiments, thesecomponents are not detachable. According to some embodiments of theinvention, the components of the wearable body armor suit are detachablyor fixedly connected to a base clothing layer. In particular, the baseclothing layer may be formed as a conventional body suit to which thecomponents are attached either inside or outside of the body suit. Thevarious body armor components are attached to the body suit such thatwhen the wearable body armor suit is worn by a wearer, the body armorcomponents are positioned over the strategically important locations ofthe wearer's body. In this manner, each body armor component protects astrategically important area of the body.

Various combinations of body armor components may be employed indifferent body armor embodiments based upon the intended application. Byway of example, only the front portion of the body armor may be employedin woodshop applications, and the body and leg body armor may optionallybe excluded or included in the body armor configuration. As anotherexample, only the arm portions of the body armor may be employed in abutcher application. In a further example, only the leg components ofthe body armor may be employed in a baggage handler application.

FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate various front and side views of a plurality ofcomponents of a body armor suit, in accordance with the principles ofthe invention. The body armor components may be formed of carbon fiberor liquid crystal polymer fiber that is woven or formed into a platen.The platen is molded or curved to accommodate the shape of a body partbeing covered by the component, for localized and directed protection ofstrategically important body parts.

FIG. 1A depicts a front view of vest component 10 of the body armor suitadapted to cover the chest and back of the wearer's body. In theillustrated embodiment, a groin protector 15 may be selectively detachedfrom the vest component 10, for example using snaps, straps, hook andloops fasteners or other conventional means. Alternatively, the groinprotector 15 may be permanently affixed or sewn onto the vest component10. The vest component 10 may feature raised projections/ribs 20 atselected locations to provide stiffness and/or additional protectionfrom impacts.

FIG. 1B illustrates the backside of the vest component 10 for protectingthe back of the wearer. The backside may also include projections 20 foradditional stiffness and/or protection from impacts to particularlyvulnerable areas of the wearer's anatomy. In some embodiments, the vestcomponent may comprise three layers including an outer metal layerfeaturing raised projections 20, a middle layer, and an inner layer ofprotective fabric. The middle layer may comprise a material such aspolycarbonate or sorbothane, which tend to distribute the load 90degrees with respect to the impact. The inner layer of protective fabricmay comprise Vectran™ or any other protective fiber or fabric describedherein.

FIGS. 1C and 1D illustrate front and side views, respectively, of an armcomponent 30 of the body armor suit. Specifically, the arm component 30includes an upper arm sleeve 35 and a lower arm sleeve 40 that may beattached via a hinge 45 such that the arm sleeves 35, 40 may pivot withrespect to one another in accordance with the natural bending of thewearer's arm. Some embodiments of the arm component 30 may not include ahinge between the sleeves 35, 40; instead, the sleeves 35, 40 may bedetachably attached via snaps, straps, hoop and loop fasteners, or otherconventional means. In further embodiments, the sleeves 35, 40 may befixed attached or sewn together.

In the illustrated embodiment, the arm sleeves 35, 40 are substantiallytubular elements that are contoured to fit the natural shape of thewearer's arm. The arm sleeves 35, 40 further include an opening 50 alongthe length of the arm sleeves 35, 40, thereby allowing the wearer toeasily insert his arm into the sleeves 35, 40. After arm insertion, thesleeves 35, 40 may be tightened onto the arm using adjustable straps 55.The sleeves 35, 40 may further comprise cutout areas to permit improvedarticulation and range of motion of the wearer's arms.

FIGS. 1E-1G illustrate side front and back views of, respectively, of aleg component 60 of the body armor suit. Specifically, the leg component60 includes an upper leg sleeve 65 and a lower leg sleeve 70 that may beattached via a hinge 75 such that the leg sleeves 65, 70 may pivot withrespect to one another in accordance with the natural bending of thewearer's leg. Some embodiments of the leg component 60 may not include ahinge between the sleeves 65, 70. In such embodiments, the sleeves 65,70 may be detachably attached via snaps, straps, hoop and loopfasteners, or other conventional means. In further embodiments, thesleeves 65, 70 may be fixed attached or sewn together.

In the illustrated embodiment, the leg sleeves 65, 70 are substantiallytubular elements that are contoured to fit the natural shape of thewearer's leg. The leg sleeves 65, 70 also include an opening 80 alongthe length of the sleeves 65, 70, thereby allowing the wearer to easilyinsert his leg into the sleeves 65, 70. After leg insertion, the sleeves65, 70 may be tightened onto the leg using adjustable straps 85. The legsleeves 65, 70 may further comprise cutout areas to permit improvedarticulation and range of motion of the wearer's legs. Some embodimentsof the leg component 60 may further include a foot section 90 that maybe selectively attached and detached from the lower leg sleeve 70, forexample using snaps, straps, hook and loop fasteners, or otherconventional means. Alternatively, the foot section 90 may be fixedlyattached or sewn onto the lower leg sleeve 70.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a portion of a body armor suit 100for an arm of a wearer, with heavy-duty articulation, in accordance withthe principles of the invention. In particular, the arm componentfeatures an upper arm sleeve 110 that is pivotably attached to a lowerarm sleeve 115 by way of heavy-duty articulation comprising a series ofoverlapping plates 125 that permit the arm sleeves 110, 115 to pivotwith respect to one another in accordance with the natural bending ofthe wearer's arm. The body armor components may also be connectedtogether by an impact-resistant material such as Vectran™ or woven chainmail.

With further reference to FIG. 2, an impact-resistant material that isalso flexible may be employed to attach the overlapping plates 125 toone another and to the upper and lower arm sleeves 110, 115, to providefurther body protection while permitting sufficient articulation betweenplates 125. The impact-resistant material may comprise Vectran™ or anyother impact-resistant material described herein. In addition, thesleeves 110, 115 further comprise cutout areas to permit improvedarticulation and range of motion of the wearer's arms. These cutoutareas reveal the base clothing layer 130 that is disposed generallyunderneath the body armor. As stated, the base clothing layer 130 may beformed as a conventional body suit to which the body armor componentsare attached either inside or outside of the body suit. In theillustrated embodiment, the armor components are disposed on the outsideof the base clothing layer 130.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the body armor components maycomprise titanium, steel, hardened aluminum, or any other metal that canbe sufficiently formed and hardened. The resultant body armor componentsare spring-loaded such that they fit snugly yet flexibly about thewearer's anatomy. By way of example, one body armor embodiment mayfeature an outer body armor shell made of titanium and an innerprotective shell made from stainless steel or hardened aluminum. In theevent that the body armor is struck by a bullet, the bullet may crackand penetrate the hard titanium outer shell. However, under suchcircumstances, the more ductile inner shell would catch the bullet suchthat it does not penetrate the wearer's body.

In embodiments featuring an inner layer of impact-resistant material,the material may comprise Vectran™ or any other impact-resistantmaterial described herein. As such, the inner layer of impact-resistantmaterial provides further protection for the wearer against impactsincluding sharp edges that may penetrate between body armor components.The inner layer of impact-resistant material may be bonded or sewn tothe body armor components and/or middle layer using an adhesive.Alternatively, the impact-resistant material may be attached via snaps,straps, hook and loop fasteners, or other conventional means.

Protective Fibers

According to some embodiments of the invention, the impact-resistantmaterial used to form the inner layer of protection may comprise ameta-aramid fiber, such as Nomex™. Meta-aramid fibers are dry spun andgenerally exhibit: (i) high tenacity (tensile stress when expressed asforce per unit linear density of the unstrained specimen), (ii) highmodulus (the ratio of change in stress—in force per unit linear densityor force per unit area of the original specimen—to change in strain—i.e.percentage contraction or elongation of the specimen—following removalof crimp from the specimen being tested), and (iii) high heatresistance. Additionally, meta-aramid fibers provide heat and flameresistance, anti-static behavior, and resistance to industrial oils,solvents, oxidation, and most chemicals. In some implementations, ameta-aramid fiber is formed into a fabric and used as a primary barrierin garments and accessories. Such a meta-aramid fiber may be combinedwith other fibers and materials to achieve desired effects in accordancewith various embodiments of the invention.

According to further embodiments of the invention, the impact-resistantmaterial comprises a para-aramid fiber, such as Kevlar™ or Twaron™.Para-aramid fibers are dry-wet or wet spun, and exhibit very hightenacity, high modulus and high heat resistance. Other embodiments mayinclude a protective fiber in the form of a liquid crystal polymer fibersuch as Vectran™. Liquid crystal polymer fibers are dry spun, andexhibit high strength, high modulus, and high heat resistance, as wellas high resistance to moisture and chemicals. Further, liquid crystalpolymer fibers generally retain these properties in hostileenvironments. Other example fibers that can be used as a protectivefiber include, but are not limited to, polyphenylenebenzimidazole (PBI),polybenzoxazole (PBO), and polyethylene.

According to various exemplary protective fabrics set forth herein, eachprotective fiber is made in 100-2500 denier filament, with an exemplaryweight of about 200-600 denier. Each protective fabric comprises one ormore protective fibers that are woven, knitted or otherwise formed intoa fabric (hereinafter “protective fabric”). In implementations where twoor more protective fibers are employed, each protective fiber can havethe same denier. Alternatively, protective fibers of different denierscan be used. By way of example, two or more protective fibers can bewoven or knitted into separate protective fabrics and combined in layersor patterns of layers. One or more layers of protective fabrics can bebonded, glued, stitched, or fused together, or bonded, glued, stitchedor fused to a base garment or accessory material such as neoprene,cotton, nylon, or the like. A selected layer of fabric may be adjustedto various biases with the other layers. Flipping selected layers in thestack can be desirable to achieve certain desired properties.Additionally, two or more of the materials described herein for making aprotective fiber may be blended together to form a yarn, which is thenturned into a knit or weave. Such materials include, but are not limitedto, Vectran™ (liquid crystal polymer), Nomex™ (meta-aramid), Kevlar™(para-aramid), Twaron™ (para-aramid), nylon, olefin, s-glass, elastic,spandex, polyethylene, diamond tough nylon, Zylon™ (thermosetpolyurethane synthetic polymer material), Technora™ (aromaticcopolyamid), Spectra™ (extended-chain polyethylene) and metallic fibers.

Knit Types/Weave Types

According to various embodiments of the invention, protective fabricsare made of protective fibers knitted into a fabric. In furtherembodiments, protective fibers may be woven, braided, or otherwiseformed into a fabric. In knitted configurations, a protective fabric isformed of a circular-knit or flat-knit jersey stitch, in which the loopsof plain stitching intermesh in only one direction. A jersey-styleprotective fabric can be formed to be stretchable in two directions. Inother implementations, a protective fabric is formed of a terry knit,i.e. having uncut loops of protective fiber on one or both sides. Aprotective fabric can be ribbed, crimped, flat, double knitted, or ringspun. In specific implementations, a protective fiber may be produced in2″-30″ tubular form, or 4″-60″ flat form. Such a protective fiber mayhave a produced weight of approximately 0.5-1.5 lbs. per square yard.

Fabrics/Composition

The protective fabrics described herein can be formed to exhibitspecific properties, such as being stretchable in four-ways or two-ways,or alternatively to be stiff and inelastic. In some implementations, aprotective fiber can be interwoven or integrated with elastic or otherstretchable material for added flexibility, or with one or more otherprotective fibers to produce a protective fabric with specificcombinations of properties such as strength and flame resistance.

Products

According to various embodiments of the invention, wearable body armormay include, but is not limited to, uniforms, vests, flightsuits,jackets, coveralls, gear bags, pouches, pockets, harnesses, webgear,hats, helmets, headgear, shoes, skate shoes, socks, booties, cuffs,armbands, gloves, belts, and other items.

Method of Manufacture

According to some embodiments, method of manufacturing wearable bodyarmor comprises the steps of: (i) forming an outer metal layer featuringraised projections; (ii) forming a middle layer and attaching the middlelayer to a body side of the outer metal layer; and (iii) forming aninner layer of impact-resistant material and attaching the inner layerto a body side of the middle layer. The middle layer may comprise amaterial such as polycarbonate or sorbothane, which tend to distributethe load 90 degrees with respect to the impact. The inner layer ofimpact-resistant material may comprise Vectran™ or any otherimpact-resistant material described herein. Forming the inner layer ofimpact-resistant material may comprise forming a protective fiber,cutting the protective fiber, and knitting or weaving the fibers to formthe protective fabric. The impact-resistant material may be formed usinga blend of two or more materials selected from the group consisting of,liquid crystal polymer, meta-aramid, para-aramid, nylon, olefin,s-glass, elastic, spandex, polyethylene, diamond tough nylon,polyphenylenebenzimidazole, polybenzoxazole, thermoset polyurethanesynthetic polymer material, aromatic copolyamid, and extended-chainpolyethylene. Each of the protective layers may include fibers having atensile strength of at least 3 GPa and a modulus of at least 70 GPa.

The impact-resistant material may be formed by knitting or weaving thefibers into an interlocking knitted fabric having a weight of 200-600denier. Suitable knits and weaves include without limitation, V-bed,terry, jersey, rib knit, double knit interlock, Rochelle, and otherknits and weaves. Additionally, the impact-resistant material mayfeature a combination of knits and weaves. The material is then quiltedinto multiple softly or semi-connected layers. This semi-loose assemblyof softly or semi-connected layers is useful in ‘trapping’ and defeatingsharp edged objects like sharks teeth, bullets and shrapnel. The quiltedmaterial is then cut into pattern shapes or panels and incorporated intoor onto the garment in a manner such as those mentioned herein. Thelayers of protective material are loosely fused together by stitching,molding or layering in with a soft flotation material such as foam, gelor other thin buoyant material. The protective quilted material can be asimple pattern of shapes with small gaps between the panels to allowflexibility of the substrate material. Alternatively, the protectivequilted material can be patterned to replicate the appearance of humanmusculature, again with gaps between the sections (for flexibility ofthe substrate material), giving the wearer of the suit a very fitathletic appearance.

The protective fabrics described herein can be assembled by a cut andsew operation. Cutting can be achieved by mechanical operations such asusing knife blades. In some embodiments, heat cutting may be employedwhereby a cutting blade is heated to a temperature above thezero-strength temperature of the fiber. The resultant fabric can includetexture or patterns. The fabric may also be manufactured to exhibitother features such as ultraviolet protection, dynamic toughness, goodflex fatigue. In addition, the fabric may be easy to splice, cut or bondwith other fabrics or materials.

Although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplaryembodiments and implementations, it should be understood that thevarious features, aspects and functionality described in one or more ofthe individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to theparticular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can beapplied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the otherembodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments aredescribed and whether or not such features are presented as being a partof a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the presentinvention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or“an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or thelike; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,”“standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construedas limiting the item described to a given time period or to an itemavailable as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompassconventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may beavailable or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, wherethis document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known toone of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass thoseapparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in thefuture.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “atleast,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instancesshall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or requiredin instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. Additionally,the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms ofexemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As willbecome apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading thisdocument, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives canbe implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. Theseillustrations and their accompanying description should not be construedas mandating a particular architecture or configuration.

1. A wearable body armor suit, comprising: a plurality of body armorcomponents that are connected together by an impact-resistant material.2. The wearable body armor suit of claim 1, wherein the impact-resistantmaterial comprises Vectran™ or woven chain mail.
 3. The wearable bodyarmor suit of claim 1, wherein the body armor components are formed ofcarbon fiber or liquid crystal polymer fiber that is woven or formedinto a platen.
 4. The wearable body armor suit of claim 3, wherein theplaten is molded or curved to accommodate the shape of a body part beingcovered by the body armor component, for localized and directedprotection of strategically important body parts.
 5. The wearable bodyarmor suit of claim 1, wherein the body armor components are modular andselectively detachable.
 6. The wearable body armor suit of claim 1,wherein the body armor components are detachably or fixedly connected toa base clothing layer.
 7. The wearable body armor suit of claim 6,wherein the base clothing layer is formed as a conventional body suit towhich the body armor components are attached.
 8. The wearable body armorsuit of claim 1, wherein the body armor components include a vestcomponent adapted to cover a chest and back of a wearer's body.
 9. Thewearable body armor suit of claim 8, further comprising a groinprotector that is selectively detachable from the vest component. 10.The wearable body armor suit of claim 8, wherein the vest componentincludes raised projections at selected locations to provide stiffnessand additional protection from impacts.
 11. The wearable body armor suitof claim 8, wherein the vest comprises three layers including an outermetal layer featuring raised projections, a middle layer, and an innerlayer of protective fabric.
 12. The wearable body armor suit of claim11, wherein the middle layer comprises polycarbonate or sorbothane fordistributing a resultant load 90 degrees with respect to an impact. 13.The wearable body armor suit of claim 11, wherein the inner layer ofprotective fabric comprises Vectran™.
 14. The wearable body armor suitof claim 1, wherein the body armor components include an arm componentincluding an upper arm sleeve and a lower arm sleeve attached via ahinge such that the arm sleeves may pivot with respect to one another.15. The wearable body armor suit of claim 14, wherein the upper armsleeve is pivotably attached to the lower arm sleeve by way ofheavy-duty articulation comprising a series of overlapping plates thatpermit the arm sleeves to pivot with respect to one another.
 16. Thewearable body armor suit of claim 1, wherein the body armor componentsinclude a leg component including an upper leg sleeve and a lower legsleeve attached via a hinge such that the leg sleeves may pivot withrespect to one another.
 17. The wearable body armor suit of claim 1,wherein the body armor components comprise titanium, steel, and/orhardened aluminum.
 18. The wearable body armor suit of claim 1, whereinthe body armor components comprise an outer body armor shell made oftitanium and an inner protective shell made from stainless steel orhardened aluminum.